BC Climate: Summaries and long term trends

Author

Affiliation

Aseem Sharma e-mail: aseem.sharma@gov.bc.ca

Future Forest Ecosystems Centre, FCCSB, OCF, BC Ministry of Forests

1 September-2023 climate summary

• September-2023 was warmer than normal for most of BC except Vancouver Island and South coastal region.
• September-2023 was relatively drier than normal with most of BC exhibiting below normal precipitation, relative humidity and soil moisture.
• The average of previous 12 months climate parameters indicate that BC experienced drier and warmer climate then normal between August 2022 and September 2023.
• The mean September temperature in BC is increasing significantly since 1950 at the rate of 0.02°C per year.
• The long-term trends indicate that BC experienced an increase in total precipitation and relative humidity but decrease in soil moisture content likely due to increased temperature and VPD.

Below you find the spatial anomalies and long term trend of air temperature, vapor pressure deficit (VPD), total monthly precipitation, relative humidity (RH), and volumetric soil moisture (0 - 1m depth) for the month of September-2023.

2 Mean temperature and vapor pressure deficit (VPD)

2.1 Anomaly: September-2023

Figure 1: Anomalies in mean temperature and VPD for September 2023 relative to climate average of September 1981 - 2010.

2.2 Last 12 months anomaly: August 2022 to September 2023

Figure 2: Average anomalies in mean temperature and VPD for August 2022 to September 2023 relative to climate average of 1981 - 2010 .

2.3 Long term trends

2.3.1 Spatial trends: September 1950 - 2023

Figure 3: Spatial trends of mean temperature and VPD anomalies for September 2023 :1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grid cells with statistically signficnat trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology

2.3.2 Time series trends: September 1950 - 2023

Figure 4: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of mean temperature and VPD for September 2023 :1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology

3 Precipitation, Relative Humidity (RH) and soil moisture

3.1 Anomaly: September-2023

Figure 5: Anomalies in total precipitation, relative humidity and volumetric soil mositure (0-1m) for September 2023 relative to climate average of September 1981 - 2010.

3.2 Last 12 months anomaly: August 2022 to September 2023

Figure 6: Anomalies in total precipitation, relative humidity and volumetric soil moisture (0-1m) for August 2022 to September 2023 relative to climate average of 1981 - 2010.

3.3 Long term trends

3.3.1 Spatial trends: September 1950 - 2023

Figure 7: Spatial trends of precipitation, relative humidity, and soil moisture anomalies for September 2023 :1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grid cells with statistically signficnat trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology

Figure 8: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of precipitation, relative humidity and soil moisture for September 2023 :1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology

4 BC seasonal and annual climate trends

4.1 Winter

4.1.1 Mean temperature and VPD

4.1.1.1 Spatial trends

Figure 9: Spatial trends of the anomalies of mean temperature and VPD for winter:1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grids with significant trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.1.1.2 Time-series trends

Figure 10: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of mean temperature and VPD for winter:1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.1.2 Precipitation, relative humidity and soil moisture

4.1.2.1 Spatial trends

Figure 11: Spatial trends of the anomalies of precipitation, relative humidity, and soil mositure for winter:1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grids with significant trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.1.2.2 Time-series trends

Figure 12: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of precipitation, relative humidity and soil mositure for winter:1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.2 Spring

4.2.1 Mean temperature and VPD

4.2.1.1 Spatial trends

Figure 13: Spatial trends of the anomalies of mean temperature and VPD for spring:1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grids with significant trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.2.1.2 Time-series trends

Figure 14: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of mean temperature and VPD for spring:1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.2.2 Precipitation, relative humidity and soil moisture

4.2.2.1 Spatial trends

Figure 15: Spatial trends of the anomalies of precipitation, relative humidity, and soil mositure for spring:1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grids with significant trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.2.2.2 Time-series trends

Figure 16: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of precipitation, relative humidity and soil mositure for spring:1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.3 Summer

4.3.1 Mean temperature and VPD

4.3.1.1 Spatial trends

Figure 17: Spatial trends of the anomalies of mean temperature and VPD for summer:1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grids with significant trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.3.1.2 Time-series trends

Figure 18: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of mean temperature and VPD for summer:1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.3.2 Precipitation, relative humidity and soil moisture

4.3.2.1 Spatial trends

Figure 19: Spatial trends of the anomalies of precipitation, relative humidity, and soil mositure for summer:1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grids with significant trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.3.2.2 Time-series trends

Figure 20: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of precipitation, relative humidity and soil mositure for summer:1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.4 Fall

4.4.1 Mean temperature and VPD

4.4.1.1 Spatial trends

Figure 21: Spatial trends of the anomalies of mean temperature and VPD for fall:1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grids with significant trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.4.1.2 Time-series trends

Figure 22: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of mean temperature and VPD for fall:1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.4.2 Precipitation, relative humidity and soil moisture

4.4.2.1 Spatial trends

Figure 23: Spatial trends of the anomalies of precipitation, relative humidity, and soil mositure for fall:1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grids with significant trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.4.2.2 Time-series trends

Figure 24: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of precipitation, relative humidity and soil mositure for fall:1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.5 Annual

4.5.1 Mean temperature and VPD

4.5.1.1 Spatial trends

Figure 25: Spatial trends of the anomalies of mean temperature and VPD for annual:1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grids with significant trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.5.1.2 Time-series trends

Figure 26: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of mean temperature and VPD for annual:1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.5.2 Precipitation, relative humidity and soil moisture

4.5.2.1 Spatial trends

Figure 27: Spatial trends of the anomalies of precipitation, relative humidity, and soil mositure for annual:1950 - 2023 .The black dot indicates grids with significant trends. Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.

4.5.2.2 Time-series trends

Figure 28: Trend in spatially averaged anomalies of precipitation, relative humidity and soil mositure for annual:1950 - 2023 . Anomalies are calcuated relative to 1981-2010 climatology.